The Man Who Saved Me
by hunterofartemis08
Summary: After Rose is almost raped by a drunken man she's saved by a mysterious person who's name she doesn't know. When she learns his name, Toby Turner, she still doesn't know who he is. But soon, through laughs and anger, she begins to find out who he is, as well as who she is herself. Tobuscus/OC
1. Chapter 1: The Man

**Me: Hey guys! I'm not gonna claim Toby at all, cause if I did I would be a selfish nugget. As much as I would like to own him (cause that would be awesome) I sadly do not.**

**Toby: From your comment of epicicosity above this I am going to assume that I am in this story.**

**Me: Yes Toby, you noodle. You are. But you must wait to find out how!**

**Toby: I hate to wait. *sad face* Roll the next clip Steven!**

* * *

The street around me couldn't be more empty. The nearly shattered light above me flickered on and off as I waited for the taxi that I had called to arrive. It was strange to not hear a single sound in a street in Los Angeles, but hey, it was a small street. I was surprised I wasn't on a constant call with the taxi service to find were I was.

I scratched my arm as I waited, turning my head back and forth along the street. They claimed that it would only take about thirty minutes, but it had been about forty. I was just considering going back inside my shop in order to wait when I heard the loud noise of an engine peel down the street. My arm readjusted my purse strap as I leaned over the street, peering down the corner.

But it wasn't a taxi car, unless they looked like black trucks with mud caked around it. I sighed, falling back onto my heels. I turned to go to the store, my hand just reaching the handle when I heard a voice.

"Hey little lady. Need a lift?" The voice called, deep in tone. It had the slight uncertainness of someone who has had too much to drink.

"No thank you!" I called behind me, even though I know I probably shouldn't say anything. I turned to wave cheerfully goodbye to him.

As soon as my hair had whipped around I found myself face to face with a rough beard. The smell of beer and cigars filled my nose and I wrinkled it in an attempt to force the scent out. But that was when I noticed how closely he was pressed against me. I paused, attempting to tilt my head up, but I couldn't. I was pressed so tightly that I couldn't move.

His arms were pressed against the wall behind my head, squeezing tightly against my neck. His head was tilted so it rested against his arms, his nose breathing in my scent.

"You're so pretty." He whispered, angling his hips so they were tighter against me. "So pretty." His breath was horrible, smelling even worse than the rest of his body. He reached one of his hands down to my hip, sliding under my jeans.

Tears fell down my cheeks and I fought, trying to force my way out from under him. But he was too strong. When he felt me fighting he laughed, just pressing harder.

I heard a sound coming around the corner over all the pain I was feeling. It was the sound of rough wheels rolling along on the ground. I stood up on my tip toes, and in the moment I had well the man's face was kissing my neck, I called out. "HEL-" But I wasn't able to get the rest of the word out before he pulled my head back down so I couldn't make a sound. But it was enough for whoever had entered the street to hear me.

I heard footsteps pounding the pavement and I felt the man pressed against me being pulled away. But whoever was trying to help me wasn't strong enough to pull him away. But the fact that whoever it was was trying gave me a small amount of hope to go on.

The person helping me managed to pull the man's arm off of the wall. In the moment where he didn't have enough leverage to stay standing they pulled his other arm off, spun him around, and punched him straight in the face.

I slid down the wall, tears obscuring my vision. But I was able to see the person helping me punch the man again as soon as he tried to stand. He managed to land a punch on his head and the man fell back, dazed.

The man who had helped me kneeled down beside me, resting his hands on the pavement as he peered at me. "Are you okay?" He asked me. His voice was caring, filled with a worry for me. That was more than anyone had felt for me in a while.

I shook my head no in response. He smiled slightly, but it wasn't a laughing smile. It was one of understanding.

"I should have guessed. Is there anyone you want me to call? Any family nearby?" He asked me, understanding that I did not want him to touch me. I shook my head. "Can I bring you to my house, like until you're better and all? That might be safer them to just stand here alone."

I thought for a second. I had no idea who this man was, but he had just saved me. He didn't seem like he was about to hurt me. In fact, he seemed more like he was going to help me. I nodded.

The man smiled again and he reached out a hand. When I didn't take it he spoke again. "Can you walk, or do I have to carry you?"

When I didn't respond he brushed aside a bit of his hair. "I would like an answer about it, since you're awake to answer my question."

"Just take me away from him." I pointed shakily towards the man that was lying on the ground. The man who had helped me glanced at him before nodding. He reached out a hand, and this time I took it.

But when I stood I nearly fell over straight away. Thankfully he was standing there and his hands shot out to stop me from falling. "I think I should carry you…" He said as he helped me stand. I was wobbling on my feet, swaying back and forth. I nodded and he swung me up into his arms, bridal style. He held me tightly against his chest as he walked down the dark street. I rested my head against his shoulder as we walked through the street.

Soon I lost track of where he was going, but he seemed to know where he was heading. My eyelids kept drifting shut since it was so late, but then I shook myself awake. I kept telling myself that I needed to know where we were going. But soon I could tell that it was helpless.

I think I did fall asleep, since the last thing I remembered was him humming a strange song with a tune I didn't recognize. But I woke up as he was messing with the front door of his house open. It seemed as if he was attempting to unlock the door with a key that was sitting in his mouth. It didn't seem to be going well.

"You could sit me down in order to open your door." I mumbled sleepily, and he seemed to startle when he heard my voice.

"I didn't notice you waking up," He told me. The key in his mouth shook as he spoke, waving back and forth clutched between his teeth. "And I never thought of that." He set me down gently on the stone plates that were covering the front path. After I was down on the ground he pulled the key out of his mouth and stuck it in the key hole. As soon as it clicked he pushed the door open with his foot and turned back to me.

"Can you walk yet or do I have to carry you into the house?"

I pressed my hands to the ground and pressed myself up standing. I was still shaky, but I was able to stand by myself. "I think I can walk." When I took a step I wobbled slightly and he instinctively reached out to grip my hand. I smiled at him and he shakily smiled back. He led me into the house.

As soon as I walked in I was startled by the amount of white walls that filled the house. They were filled with colorful paintings but I was too tired to make out what they were of. They just seemed like colorful blurs to distract me.

I turned to him. "I don't even know your name." I told him, blinking to try and clear my eyes.

"Well, I don't know your name either. But mine is Toby. Toby Turner."


	2. Chapter 2: Comforting

**Me: Hey guys! I'm back. Just like in the last chapter, I'm not gonna claim Toby at all, because he is a very special person. VERY special.**

**Toby: I like this story. I'm turning out as a superhero murder machine. In a figurative sense, of course.**

**Me: Rose would be fine (ecstatic really) with you killing the man Toby, but sadly you do not get a chance to.**

**Toby: *childish sad face* But I wanted to kill him!**

* * *

"Nice to meet you Toby." I told him, holding out my hand to shake. "I'm Rose. Rose Granger."

He took my hand, smiling. "Nice name." I tried to smile but the smile wavered as I blinked more. In the moments of light I had I saw Toby looking nervously at me. "Are you tired?"

"A little bit."

"I think I have a spare bedroom somewhere here…" He mumbled, turning around in a circle to look at the room surrounding us. While he was turned away my eyes fell closed completely and I was basically sleeping where I stood. When he turned back to me he poked me slightly. After I didn't respond out of tiredness he lifted me back into his arms. Now I hung limply from them, my limbs hanging from his arms. I wasn't asleep, but I very well could have been.

He carried me through his house, bouncing me up and down lightly with every step. He seemed to be stepping nimbly over every little thing that would be crowding his floor. I heard his foot kick a door open but he didn't hit a light switch so it remained a pleasant darkness. He rested me lightly down on a bed and I felt him pull the blanket over me so I was completely covered. Right before I drifted away into the land of dreams I felt his hand rest on my hair to smooth it out of my face. Then it fell away, just as I did as well.

* * *

I was being chased by the man, his smell filling my nose. I kept trying to shove it away from my face but it kept coming back to overwhelm me. His hands kept reaching out to grab my arms but I just ran faster. His hands scrapped my arms, creating long red lines along them but no blood flowed from them. The deep darkness overwhelmed me, filling my sightline with complete blackness. There was nothing in front of me. Nowhere that I could go to hide. But I had to keep running. I had too. I couldn't get caught by the horrible, horrible man who chased me. So I ran.

* * *

"Rose?" Someone's hand was lightly resting on my shoulder. I startled awake, flailing my arms to try and swat it away. It wasn't until after a few seconds that I realized that I was no longer being chased by the man. Instead, I was inside the house of a man who the only thing I knew about him was his name. But for some reason, I felt safer than I had ever felt before.

My eyes opened and I found myself about an inch from a face. As soon as the face saw that I was awake it brightened. "How are you feeling?"

I looked at the face in front of me strangely. "Can you get away from my face please?" They nodded and then backed away.

I reached up a hand to rub my eyes as the bright light invaded their happy darkness. But after I opened them, the blurry lights fading away. As the form of the face slowly blurred into focus I was surprised by the deepness of worry that was filling the hazel green eyes. They were searching my face for a sign that I was okay. But instead of showing them something comforting I was just staring back in amazement.

"Are you okay?" He asked again, not moving back any farther.

"Maybe." I mumbled, pulling the blanket tightly around me.

"Anything hurt? I've got some pain killers you could have…" He waved a hand in the air, trailing off at the end of the sentence. My eyes glanced to his hand, which had moved up to to mess with his mousy brown hair, which stuck out as far as its short length could reach. The ends curled around his odd pointy ears that settled next to wispy sideburns. It all looked so messed up that I could tell he always ran his hand through it.

"My neck kind of hurts." I told him, rubbing a hand up and down it. "But I don't know if pain killer does anything for that."

He shrugged. "Who knows? I'll go get some and we can find out." He stood and left the room, leaving the door slightly open behind him. As soon as he was gone I looked around the room, one hand moving up to play with my hair.

The room had white walls, just like what I assumed the rest of the house would look like. I could only slightly remember what happened last night after he lifted me into his arms. Just that we had a small conversation before I fell asleep. But before that, when I stood outside my store under the broken streetlight, I remembered it all. Every last detail. A tear fell down my cheek as I remembered his face, what he did to me.

The man re-entered the room, a glass of water and a bottle of pain killers clutched in his hand. His face was cheerful, with a slight smile on his face, until he noticed the second tear as it landed on the rough blanket around me.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his face forming to look like a sad child. "What happened?"

I took a deep breath in an attempt to speak but no word I spoke seemed to be understandable. Tears just slid down my cheek as I gurgled un-distinctively. He stood there awkwardly as I cried, his mind trying to comprehend what was going on. As my hands reached up to cover my eyes as I cried he came over, putting the water and the bottle down on the floor by the bed, sat down on the bed and reached out his arms. I fell into them and pressed my face against his cotton shirt, my hands still clutched around my eyes. He reached his arms around me so I was held tightly. But it wasn't the tightness that the man had done last night, with evil intentions behind every move. It was the feeling of security. Like he wanted to save me.

His chin rested on my head as he held me. We sat there as I continued to cry, staining his shirt with tears. He never wavered in his hold on me, his arms holding me tightly as my tears turned into strange coughs. Soon I had stopped making any noise, so we sat there in silence, but he didn't seem to notice. And I didn't tell him.

Finally, after we had sat there in silence for a while I felt his arms drop away. I didn't want them to go, but I didn't want to force them to be around me. So I let them fall, instead looking up at his face.

He reached down to pick up the stuff he had left on the ground. "Do you want these?" he asked nervously, holding them out to me. I smiled, taking the water.

"Can you take the pills out? I don't think I have the strength right now to open it." I gestured lightly towards the bottle in his hand and he looked down at it like he had momentarily forgotten that it was there. His hand reached over and squeezed the bottle open as he raised it up to eye level in order to read the proper dosage. Once the top was off he reached in and pulled out the proper amount, handing them too me. I popped them in my mouth, grimaced at the horrible taste (had I expected anything but), and took a large gulp of water.

He stood, taking the bottle of pain killers to go and put it away. Right before he left the room I said, "I forget your name. I have a feeling you told me, since you knew mine."

He turned around, smiling. "Toby. Toby Turner."


	3. Chapter 3: Forget

**Me: Hello my fellow audience members! Same as the first two chapters, I'm not gonna claim Toby at all.**

**Toby: Yes, no claiming me. I claim myself.**

**Me: Do you like how your character is so far?**

**Toby: Yeah, I'm quite a nice guy in this. It's awesome. *excited face* Roll the next clip Steven!**

I nodded, remembering when he told me; right before I basically passed out out of tiredness. "Nice name. Toby," I said it with such a strange voice that he laughed lightly.

"Yeah. I'll be out for about an hour, in case you need anything now," He pointed behind his shoulder as his voice faded away into silence, looking at me with his bright eyes. They were a strange color, a mixture of brown and green. I guess you would call it hazel. But they were looking at me with such intelligence I was almost overwhelmed. I blinked and the feeling was lost.

"I'll be okay for an hour," I told him and he smiled. When he turned around and left I started doing what I did best, think. I never really thought about anything in particular. I just let my mind flit from one crazy thought to another. I heard his footsteps running around the house as he grabbed the stuff he needed for about two minutes before he popped his head back into the room. By now I was sitting up in silence, my hands on my knees as I stared into the now blurry wall in front of me. I was swaying slightly as I sat there, my mind bouncing through multiple things. My back was leaning against the headboard, the blanket and and sheets strewn about the bed. He looked at me in surprise; after my recent breakdown he probably didn't expect me to be sitting up right away.

I didn't notice him until he spoke. "Is there anyone you want to call? To tell where you are I mean. A roommate or something?" He was hanging off the wall by one hand. I turned my head towards him, thinking some more.

"Nope. I just live alone in my small apartment," I shrugged. "It's big enough for one person."

"I could go pick up some spare clothes for you, if you want…" He scratched an ear. I pushed a bit of stray hair back behind my ear where it belonged.

"You're making it sound like you wanted me to stay here for a while." I laughed nervously, and he joined. But we quickly stopped and the space between us fell silent.

"Well, I was hoping you didn't mind…" His face was turning beet red. I hated to look at him right then, looking so nervous and out of place. He must have never done something like this before. Then again, neither had I. "I mean, I didn't think you would want to stay somewhere alone after…you know…" He was struggling to find the right word. He didn't know how far things got, how far that man had used me. He just knew what he saw.

I took a deep breath, trying to keep the on slide of tears from flowing again. "You don't need to say it."

He looked relieved. "Whew." He whispered, almost impossible to hear.

"But I was kind of hoping you would ask." I told him, staring down to my lap as I felt my face turn slightly red. Dear God, this was so embarrassing. "I don't think I could manage being alone in my apartment for a long amount of time. I mean, I might be able to handle like a day, but any longer and I think I might start hiding under my blankets." I ended with a laugh.

"Good." I looked up in surprise and he immediately became flustered again. "I mean, it isn't good that you wouldn't be able to stay there alone, because that's horrible, but it's good that you wanted to stay here instead of somewhere else, I mean..." He hit his forehead. "That sounds stupid."

"I know what you mean. You don't have to explain it." He looked happy that he didn't have to try and explain; something it was clear he couldn't do. "And that would be wonderful if you got me a few things, thank you." He smiled in delight at the idea. "Do you want me to write down the address for you?"

"If you could- I'll get you some paper." He turned and dashed off. I could hear him messing about in search of paper and a pencil. After a few seconds he shrieked girlishly and called out to me. "Just saw a spider, no need to worry!" I laughed. Soon he returned, the paper he chose being the back of an envelope. He tossed the two things to me, the pen and envelope slicing through the air to land in my lap.

I uncapped the pen and pressed it against the envelope. _150 Eleanor Rd, apt 4c; Los Angeles._ I finished it off with a flourish and handed the paper and pen back to Toby. He studied it quickly, his eyes shooting back and forth along the paper.

He nodded. "I think I can get there easily." He looked up at me. "Anything particular you want me to get? Like anything special you need right now?"

"Not really. Just the normal stuff." I shrugged and he nodded again.

"You can do anything you want here, like eat something or watch TV. I'll leave my number on the counter so you can call me if you need anything." He nodded, satisfied.

"Did you get my purse?" I asked as he stood there for a second longer.

"Yeah, it's sitting on the couch." He waved a hand behind him in what I assumed was the vague direction of the living space.

"Thanks. You can get my keys out of it. Smallest pocket in the inside."

"Cool." We stared at each other in silence for a second. "Um…I'm gonna go now."

"Okay. Thanks for letting me stay here." I smiled sweetly at him and he waved good bye, a smile on his face. Then he turned and I heard him walking to the door, every few seconds the sound changing to one of wheels. Rough wheels rolling across the ground.

"I'll be back in an hour!" he called but I was already trapped again.

Trapped. Trapped against the door as the man pushed against me, hands gripping my wrists as his mouth explored my neck. So much hurt. So much pain. So much destruction.

I pressed my hands against my eyes as I tried to block it out. But it just kept coming back. The beard, the cigars, the beer.

I sat there, my legs clenched against my chest as I cried. Just leave my head. Just leave and let me forget!

**Me: Thanks to everyone who has read this story so far! Ask any questions in the reviews and they will be answered on my blog. Glad you guys are enjoying this story!**


	4. Chapter 4: Rose's Apartment

**Me: Hey guys! Just so you know, this chapter is out of Toby's POV when he goes to Rose's apartment. And I still don't own him. Sadly**

**Toby: Yeah, she still doesn't. And she's making it seem like a bad thing! *childish face***

**Me: Because Toby, when you are a fangirl, not owning you is horrible.**

**Toby: Wait…are you a fangirl?**

**Me: Perhaps…slightly…a little bit…maybe…**

I turned the corner, my eyes switching quickly between the sides of the road and the paper with her address that hung from the mirror in front of me. _50 Eleanor Rd._ Now where was it? I thought as I scanned the road. A few people walked about past me, talking on phones or texting. Griffin sat cheerfully next to me, his tongue rolling out to taste the wind. I turned back the the addresses that were plastered on the top of buildings under the name. There was 46 and 47 and 48 and 49. They all had the same old brick pattern. Finally, 50. I turned to car so I could go into the parking lot that I had spied in the back of the building.

My eyes scanned the collection of cars that filled the parking lot as I turned into it. All normal cars, clean and new looking. None of the cars were covered with mud or scratches. Just normal looking cars for normal looking people.

I pushed open the door to the car, one hand reached beside me to grab the keys that Rose had given me. The roof of the car was open and Griffin's leash was attached to the armrest so he couldn't go anywhere. Slamming the door shut I went around to the front, watching the flowers that decorated the sides of the building. A small wall was separating the path I was on from the building beside. The front of the building was the same as the others, with bricks in multiple colors and windows along the wall. The doors were glass and framed by more windows. The door pulled open with a smooth sound and I walked in, the wheels on my shoes clicking on the tile floor.

Someone was sitting behind a counter staring at a computer screen, their fingers typing fast along the keyboard. They only glanced up quickly when they heard me walk in and then they just returned to their blinking computer screen. The rest of the room was empty besides for a person sleeping on a couch. I searched the room for the elevator and found it sitting between two brightly colored chairs against one of the walls.

I pressed the up button and waited as the elevator clanked down. Though the building looked modern, just the sound of the elevator gave me the clue that it had been around for a while. When the door finally binged open someone walked out past me, slightly shoving me out of their way. I shrugged it off, stepping in myself. And forth floor…my finger trailed up and down the buttons for a second before I pressed the button. The elevator began to clank up to the fourth floor. It held up to its sound, filled with metal and wood and somewhat made me feel quite unsafe. Other than the feeling of that I was about to fall through the bottom it was homey, strangely nicer than millions of other elevators I had been in.

It finally reached the fourth floor and I looked around for apartment 4c. I saw 4a (they opened their door and nodded to me) 4b (door was slightly open and I had to force myself to not close it) and then finally 4c. I pushed the key into the key hole, waited for the click, and then pushed the door open.

As I looked around the room I spoke out loud to myself. "She was right, this is small." I kicked the door shut behind me. The only room I could see was a small living area with a kitchen attached. But what surprised me was what filled the room from top to bottom. Books. They covered the edges of the room, filled the bookcases that filled the walls. "She must really like to read." I mumbled as I looked around. I could recognize about two out of every twenty titles that I saw. My finger trailed along the titles and I saw they all had something to do with music, science or fiction.

The parts of the room that weren't covered in books actually looked quite nice. The couch was a clean white, resting in front of small coffee table (no books there, just a pleasant plant). There was no television, instead there just a computer sitting on the white desk between the millions of bookcases. The star screensaver was still blinking by. There were thin white curtains that hung off the slightly open windows, blowing in the light breeze.

I walked in further, looking over the kitchen. It had the same white theme with the only color coming from the bowl of bright green apples resting in the middle of the island. I looked around for a door that would most likely lead to a bed room and spotted one off of the kitchen. It was slightly open and I could see even more piles of things.

But when I walked in I found that instead of books the room was filled with stacks of CD's. I picked one up randomly from the top of a stack closest to me and saw that it was a composer that I didn't recognize. I put it back and looked around the room for a second. Double bed with a silk comforter (a sheet of music) and nothing else other than the CD piles and a jukebox. I turned my head to look for a closet. There was one behind a mirror door and I slid it open.

It was filled with shirts of all different colors. I ran my hand through them and found that they all had some sort of strange icon or saying. On the shelf above them were stacks of neatly folded jeans. Multiple colors of converse were sitting neatly in rows alone the bottom.

"She is quite a neat person." I said out loud as I turned to go look for a suitcase. There was one leaning against the wall with a window, white like the rest of the apartment. I tossed it lightly on the bed and clicked it open. Then I turned to go grab stuff out of the closet. I picked about five shirts that made me laugh, five pairs of jeans, two pairs of different colored converse and a jacket. I stuffed it all into the suitcase and turned around to look for the bathroom. It seemed to be attached to the bed room by a small doorway.

There was nothing special in it, just normal bathroom stuff. The yellow tooth brush was resting inside a cup and I grabbed it quickly, along with her toothpaste. Sitting in the cupboard next to the sink was a large collection of red hair dye. I grabbed one of them and pulled aside the shower curtain to find some of her shampoo. I just put it all in the suitcase and squeezed it shut.

I looked around finally for anything else that she might need. She didn't give me any particular book or music she wanted, so I just grabbed one CD from the top of a few of the stacks. I sighed and left the room, closing the door quietly behind me. I looked over the books quickly but I just left the apartment after finding none that interested me. I went back to where the elevator entrance was sitting.

I jammed the button with my finger and waited for it to arrive from where ever it was. The suitcase was clutched in one hand while the CD's were clutched in the other. When the elevator clanked onto the floor it dinged open and I stepped inside to go back downstairs. I went out the same way I came in, dropping the stuff from my hands onto the seat beside me once I had un locked the car. Then I started it up and turned out onto the street to begin to drive home.

**Me: I know this chapter was a lot of description but I wanted you to know what her apartment looked like before they went back later in the story because it made more sense for Toby to be describing it.**

**Toby: I can notice quite a lot of stuff! Win! *pumps air***

**Rose: Do I ever get to be in these conversations? *waves to readers* Hello people!**

**Me: Sure, whenever you want. *high five with Rose***

**Toby: No high five for me? *sad puppy face***

**Me: Toby, you get a hug! *jumps up and hugs Toby* Ask any questions in the reviews and I'll answer on my blog! Thanks for reading, keep being awesome!**


	5. Chapter 5: Piano

**Me: The last chapter and this chapter are happening at the same time.**

**Toby: And, btw, she still does not own me. I freaking own myself! *cheers***

**Me: Yes Toby, you do. I am not doubting that. But that doesn't make me wish any less…**

**Toby: Um...*glances between me and the army of fan girls waiting to attack* Roll the next clip Steven!**

I sat there for there for a while, slowly calming myself. My breath was warming the hands that were clutched around my mouth. The silence of the house slightly helped because now there was nothing to bring the memory back. I just sat there, with my legs clutched to my chest and hands over my mouth, and cried.

When I had finally stopped gushing out tears and instead fell into sitting there in silence I pressed my hands to the rough blanket and stood. As I shuffled to the door I shivered at the sudden coldness. I wrapped my arms around myself and looked around for some type of sweatshirt. There wasn't one in sight so I was forced to just squeeze my arms tighter in an attempt to warm me. My hand pressed the door open more and I looked curiously around the house.

The door opened into what looked like the living room. It had a couch, a television (in front of the fireplace) and what looked like a hallway to the kitchen. In the corner of my eye I could see a dark wood dining table.

I walked through to the kitchen. It looked the same as the rest of the house, bland and white. All the cabinets were slightly open and out of habit I shut them all. Then I turned to the refrigerator. There was the normal stuff in it, except there seemed to be a large amount of everything. There looked like there was even more stuff hidden behind what I could see in the front. But strangely, I wasn't that hungry. Normally I could stomach an egg, but today it felt like even that small amount would come right back up. I told myself that I would eat something later. I pulled open a drawer, grabbed an apple and pushed the refrigerator shut. My teeth sunk into the skin as I scanned the remaining stuff that decorated the top of the counter. Everything was pushed to the inner edges of the counter, giving the illusion that it was clean. It fooled you on first glance, most likely intentional.

I turned around and went back into the living room. From the x-box and Wii that I could see, Toby must be some type of gamer. I was never into the world of gaming, instead choosing to fall into the world of books. The remote was sitting on the coffee table but as soon as I grabbed it I just let it drop again. Nothing about TV interested me. It landed with a loud clank and I winced.

I took another bite of apple, my other hand reaching out and grabbing my purse. I placed the apple onto the coffee table and began to rummage in my purse for my cell phone. It was a natural instinct to make sure my phone was safe. My hand formed around it and I pulled it out, sighing. My fingers automatically typed in the password and I was welcomed by a collection of music notes. I sighed, switching it off.

I looked across the room and saw a small office in the corner. I stood, my phone still clutched in my hand, and walked over to it. My empty hand pressed it open and I smiled as my eyes fell onto the keyboard resting against the wall. I slid into the seat, resting my hands on the keys and closing my eyes. Finally. I didn't have any sort of piano in my apartment other than a program on my computer. The only time I got to play was when I went to the small music school next to my store.

I put my phone on the top of the keyboard and then moved my hands back onto the keys. And then I started to play. I didn't know what I was playing; I was just playing what felt right.

The whole house echoed with the strange music. I was automatically switching between the different settings, the different pedals. It echoed throughout each of the corners, bouncing back to resonate in my ears. I got lost in it. I was finally in a place where no one would shout insults at me; where no one would stare at me with hungry eyes; where no one could reach out a strong hand to touch me. I could be alone. Finally.

-TOBY'S POV-

I pushed open the door and stepped aside, one hand letting go of Griffin's leash while the other held Rose's suitcase and CD's down by my side. Immediately my ears were filled with a strange music and I looked around in surprise, my eyes wide in wonder. It was resonating off of everything in the house. I looked around the room for whatever was making the sound, but found it to be empty, the remote fallen to the floor. Sunlight still breathed through the light curtains, creating long shadows on the light wooden floor. The door to my office was slightly open, my desk in eye sight, so I walked over and pushed the door open the rest of the way.

Rose was sitting in the bench, her head tilted downward so that her bright red hair, which I now knew was dyed, hung over the sides of her face. Her black top looked like a smaller version of one of Olga's dresses, with a color female's face smiling out. A necklace in the shape of a crown hung from her neck, the charm in the middle of her chest. Dark skinny jeans covered her thin legs and her feet were decorated by a pair of yellow flats. It was such a simple outfit, but it looked outstanding on her. Her entire figure resonated a strange beauty, something that made you want to look again, fill your eyes with her. And it pulled me towards her, made my heart ache when I remembered how sad and scared she had looked only a few hours before.

My mind forced me to return my gaze to her fingers, to find the source of the beautiful music. Her fingers were flying over the keys, feet pressing the petals constantly to hold out some notes and make others quieter. I stood there watching her play, standing there awkwardly as I wondered if I should speak. There were a lot of times when I could have opened my mouth, to speak a world of greeting, but I couldn't bring myself too. This was the first moment that she had looked truly happy since I had first met her.

She had smiled a lot, but that hadn't looked like happiness. It looked somewhat fake, almost like it was a shield that she pulled over herself. But now, as she thought she was alone, she looked truly happy.

She held out a note as she finished the song, her eyes closed as she listened. I clapped lightly in appreciation and she jumped, turning her head sharply to me. Her hand reached up and brushed aside a bit of her hair. I could tell her hands were shaking with fear and I felt horrible that I had scared her like that.

"How long have you been standing there?" she asked nervously, dropping her other hand from the piano keys to be clutched in her lap.

"Not that long. Only a few minutes." I told her gently; sweat forming on the back of my neck. I rubbed it before remembering that I was still holding her suitcase and CD's. I held them out. "Here are the things I got for you." She carefully took the CD's from me, looking at them curiously. A small smile formed as she flipped from one to another. She started humming as she read the titles.

When she finished she looked up in joy. "Thank you Toby. I didn't even think about asking you to get some of my CD's. I didn't think anyone would bother to get any."

I shrugged. "I saw piles of them and decided they meant something to you. I would have gotten some books, but I had no idea to know which one to get. Sorry."

"That's okay. These CD's," she held them up, "are going to be enough. Thanks for even thinking of them."

"No problem. What were you just playing there?" I pointed towards the keyboard and she looked at it like she had forgotten it was there.

"I don't know. I was just playing." She looked nervous, her eyes flickering between my face and the keyboard as if she looked for reassurance. She smiled weakly.

"Have you ever written it down?"

"No."

"You should. It sounded amazing."

She blushed and I felt guilty to be looking at her suddenly. She turned her head away. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." It felt weird to be saying that, the words hanging off my tongue in a way that made me want to say more. But I couldn't think of anything. My mind searched for something that could ease the awkwardness away from the situation, but nothing came to mind. We were trapped in the silence.

-ROSE'S POV-

"You're welcome." He said, the last word fading into silence. I sat there, my hands clutched tightly in my lap as my mind whizzed to find something to say. _I should say something_, I told myself sternly. But my mind refused to obey. It was too focused on Toby's strange eyes.

No. I shook my head in an almost un-recognizable motion. I couldn't trust a man, not even one as caring as Toby. That was what that man had done to me.

Toby brightened, his face lifting up in joy. "Have you had anything to eat yet?" he asked. "I mean, I could make you something, if you didn't."

My mind remembered the apple and it told me I didn't need anything else. To tell him that I was fine. But to my surprise, my lips moved on their own and my tongue forced out the phrase. "No, not yet. That would be great." _No no no no_. My brain shouted at me. _You don't need anything to eat! You are fine!_ I felt a tear brimming on the corner of my eyes but I forced it back before Toby noticed. He had already nodded in happiness, skipping away back to the kitchen.

"Anything particular that you want?" his voice called. I could hear stuff being moved around in the kitchen, nocking stuff over and opening cabinet doors.

"No, whatever you make will be fine." I told him, worried when I heard the slight waver of my voice. But he didn't seem to notice. I sighed. My hand moved to turn of the keyboard and I stood. He had left my suitcase leaning against the door to the office, but I just left it there. I would be able to get it later.

When I reached him he was cooking something over the stove, a spatula in hand. He glanced at me when he heard my footsteps on the tile floor. "I'm making eggs, hope you don't mind." I shook my head, gulping to prevent the bile that had risen from reaching my mouth. The smell was wonderful, but it made me sick. My mind started to count the calories that were probably in the egg, but I tried to force it back. It fell to the back of my mind, but it was still working away.

"Do you want toast?" he asked as he dipped the egg onto a plate, a fork and knife already resting on it.

"No. An egg is good." _It already is enough to make you sick_, my brain told me smugly. _You could have easily said 'no, I didn't need anything'_.

"Cool," he held the plate in his hand like a waiter would, a towel swung over the crock of his arm. "My lady, follow me." he bowed, somehow managing not to drop the plate. Then he stepped in front of me in order to lead the way towards the table. I tried to laugh, but it died in my throat. My feet mindlessly started to follow him, my brain still protesting even eating.

He put the plate down at one of the seats, pulling the knife and fork off and placing them on either side of the plate. He then pulled the chair away from the table and brushed it off delicately. I sat down and he pushed me back in.

"Madame." He bowed again. "Is there anything else you require?"

I smiled this time, not knowing if it was a fake one or a real one. "No good sir, but thank you."

He smiled back. Then he threw the towel on the table, raced around it, and plopped himself across from me. I reached down a hand for the fork and scooped up a small amount, forcing myself to ignore what my brain was telling me. _Put the fork down. Put it down. Don't put it in your mouth. You don't need the food. Stop!_ The fork reached my mouth and I scrapped the egg off it. My teeth moved to chew and my grey eyes met his hazel ones for a staring contest. When I swallowed, I moved the fork down again, my eyes not moving from his. He was watching me so intently that I wanted to pull my eyes away, to focus on anything but those eyes. But I couldn't. Because behind that stubbornness of not looking away, there was something else. I didn't know what it was, but it was strange.

I finally managed to yank my eyes away so that I looked down at the plate. I had already eaten half of the egg, something that surprised me. My brain had stopped protesting while I was looking into his eyes, focusing all its energy on trying to look away. But now, when I looked down at the eggs that decorated the plate, the thoughts came back.

_You're going to get fat if you eat all of those. Did you even think about how many calories there would be when you said yes? Only five hundred calories per meal, yet there are probably seven hundred in just this one egg! _I felt sick again, my stomach beginning to obey my brain and wanting the eggs out. I tried to swallow it back, but the saliva didn't do anything.

"Can you get me a cup of water?" I said, my mouth only opening a small amount. Toby stood eagerly, bouncing away back to the kitchen to fetch it for me. As soon as he was gone the fork dropped from my hand and I clutched my stomach, still trying to swallow the food back down. When he returned, I moved my hands so that they were resting on my lap so that he couldn't see them. His hand held out a glace of water, two ice cubs floating in the center. I reached out for it, bringing it to my lips and drinking gratefully. The water helped force the food back down and after a few gulps I was able to put it back down on the table and reach for the fork again.

My brain, having realized that I was not going to listen to it, started to mumble in the back of my head about how horrible of an idea this was. But it allowed me to eat in peace, my eyes moving anywhere but back to Toby's intense stare.

**Me: Hope you like this chapter! Please leave a review with what you thought about the chapter or a question. I'll answer the questions on my blogs.**

_**Guest: I thought about making him like how we see him in videos. But after watching other peoples' videos that he is in, he isn't truly that crazy and weird. He is weird, but not to the extent that we see him. He also knows that Rose needs help, so he can't be quite so crazy around her.**_

**Toby: Outro of darkness then redness then whiteness! Then… Boop!**


	6. Chapter 6: Minecraft

After finishing the egg I placed the fork back down delicately on the table, trying to stop it from making a single noise when it encountered it. I was starting to feel sick again, but it wasn't as bad as before. I was able to sit there sipping the glass of water while my eyes flickered around the room.

The deep wood table was in the center, fitting about six chairs in a circle around it. There were small figurines in the center of the table; my mind immediately thought that they should be flowers. The walls were the same white as the rest of the house, but unlike the rest of the rooms where pictures and paintings of Toby covered the walls, they were empty.

Toby was still sitting across from me, his chin resting on up-turned hands. I allowed myself small glances at him, avoiding the center of his face. He was watching me, his eyes following my face. What he was thinking of I didn't know. Was he trying to see through my empty face? Was he trying to make sure I was okay, searching my face for a sign? Or was he like every other man I had met, his eyes only eating up me up while his mind envisioned me with less and less clothes?

I didn't know which one it would be. Toby seemed to be different than other men, but he was a man. He had most likely thought stuff like that before about other girls. And he had most likely had girls in his bed before. So the last thought seemed more likely than any other. Though I hoped it wasn't true.

Finally, after a few minutes of silence, he spoke. "What do you want to do today? We could go out to the city…" I stiffened and he seemed to notice. "Or not."

"What do you normally do?"

He shrugged. "Go out and visit friends, watch TV, use the computer, play video games. The normal stuff."

None of that was normal to me. 'Go out and visit friends' was a foreign idea. Friends; I had none. 'Watch TV' seemed to me strange. I didn't even own one, and if I did nothing would interest me on it. 'Use the computer' seemed worthless. To do what? 'Play video games' sounded horrible. I didn't own any game systems, and I didn't plan on ever owning any.

I remained was silent at his ideas. "Or we could just stay home and hang out."

"Do you have a radio with a disc drive?" I asked him. "Someplace I could listen to music?"

"Yeah, in the office. Want me to get it?"

"If you could. Would you mind bringing it to the room I had been sleeping in?"

"Sure." he stood, pushing back his chair.

I stood up and followed him, planning on grabbing my suitcase and the CD's I had left sitting on the piano bench. We reached the room at the same time, Toby coming out with radio in hand while I tried to get in to grab my stuff. I moved aside, lowering my head, and he passed. Then I went in, grabbing my suitcase and the small pile of CD's. I had to look around a bit in order to find the room, but Toby's figure in the open doorway gave me somewhat of a clue. I followed him in.

The radio was on the bed, the wire for the plug stretching behind the bedside table. Toby spread out his arms in welcome and I smiled. I threw the suitcase onto the bed and pried open one of the CD's. I slid it in and pressed play. Immediately a song by Mozart filled the room, one of his symphonies. My eyes closed as I listened and I heard Toby easing out of the room, pushing the door closed silently behind him. I fell onto the bed, arms behind my head, and listened.

-TOBY'S POV-

As soon as her door was pressed shut I looked down at the IPhone that I had pulled out of my pocket to check the time. 10:30 am. Today was a day that I needed to record a collection of Minecraft videos, since I had run out of the ones from the week before. Listening, I found that I could only slightly hear the music. Hopefully the microphone wouldn't pick it up.

I walked over to the office and booted up the computers, pulling the headphones over my ears. I plunked myself down in my office chair and spun in a circle for a second before pulling myself closer, mouse clicking on the programs that I needed. I checked myself in the webcam, making sure it was angled properly. Then I started.

As I played, fighting Zombies and Werewolves, I felt that my mind wasn't fully in the game. I was hoping I was still making good jokes when I felt myself falling into silence, pickaxe mining away in front of me. My mind had fallen to Rose, and I wondered if I should inform the Audience that I had met her.

No. Not in Minecraft. Maybe in a LazyVlog. Yeah. That would be better. I immediately perked up and finished one episode, moving on to record two more before finally ending. The headphones fell from my ears and I started to edit the videos, syncing the audio and the webcam up into one file.

After about an hour I had the two pretty well synced. I looked at my watch again. 12:00. I can upload a little early today. My mouse clicked and soon Skyrim, Minecraft, and Happy wheels found their way onto the site of Youtube. I heard Rose moving about in the background, her bare feet quiet as she moved around the kitchen. It was lunch time; most likely she was making herself a sandwich.

I soon decided to check the comments, something I normally did after posting videos. And what I saw surprised me:

_Toby, whats wrong? You look sad today. Something happen?_

_Everything ok toby?_

_Anybody know whats wrong with toby today?_

_Did someone break up with him? He looks distracted._

_Your normally so hyper and funny. Whats up toby? Someone die or something?_

_I bet a girl rejected him. But who would reject toby I had no flipping idea._

I leaned back in my chair, bringing up a hand to rub in my hair. Did I really look that bad? Maybe I should comment or something? That's a good idea. Comfort them. My hands began to type:

_Hello my Audience! I was just reading your comments and saw that my Audience was worried about me! Everything is fine, I was just a little tired when I recorded the video! Thanks for your concern! Peace off…BOOP!_

People immediately began to reply in amazement: it wasn't every day that Toby Turner commented on a video. I smiled, closing the webpage before spinning around to go find Rose.

She wasn't in the kitchen anymore, but a knife with a small amount of peanut butter and a plate with a few crumbs were lying in the sink. Her purse was gone from the couch. I listened intently for a moment before hearing the strings of piano from the spare room. I smiled inside, walking over and opening the door.

She was lying on the bed, eyes open and staring at the ceiling. One of her fingers was trailing a circle around her stomach, where her shirt had been pushed up to the bottom of her ribcage. Her other hand was lying beside her head, palm up and fingers lightly curled. It looked like she had changed her shirt, now wearing one that featured a ninja kicking the air. It had the same short sleeves as her first shirt, more like a loose tank top then an actual shirt. Her feet were bare and I could see that her toes were painted a bright rainbow.

"Hey." I said and she shot up, her hair waving crazily around her head. Her eyes were open wide, small amounts of fear shining through.

"Toby!" she brought a small hand up to her heart, long fingers delicate. "You scared me!"

"Sorry," I nodded towards the radio. "What you listening to?"

"Bach." She said simply, her hands rising so that she could begin to braid her hair. "Composer."

I nodded. "I know. My mom used to listen to his stuff. You like him?"

She nodded eagerly. "He's one of my favorites. But I love all old music. It has a different feel to it than today's music, like you could travel to a distant world while listening to it."

"Can I listen with you?"

"Sure."

-ROSE'S POV-

"Can I listen with you?" he looked nervous to be asking.

I smiled at him, the shock of his arrival gone. But my heart was still racing. What had he seen? "Sure."

He came over and sat next to me, taking care to put a small bit of distance between us. It seemed intentional, his face red. I wanted to reach over and take his hand, but something stopped me.

The thought of that man.

With his cigars, filling my nose. With his beer, making me choke. With his beard, suffocating me. With his eyes, sizing me up before he snapped down. With his hands, squeezing tighter and tighter and moving further and further. The thought of him was starting to take over the entirety of his gender. Even Toby, with his caring eyes, was ruined.

**A/N: Hope you like this chapter! Please leave a review with what you thought and I'll try to get back to you. Thanks again!**


	7. Chapter 7: Olga Kay

Soon Toby and I had settled into a pattern. I would wake up around nine in the morning and sit on the bed calming myself from a nightmare. Toby would occasionally hear me crying and he would pop his head in to check on me. I would wave him away, telling him I'd be out in a second. He would leave, but I could hear him listening from behind the door. It normally took a few minutes, but I eventually would calm down.

I would finally shuffle to the kitchen, arms clutched around me, where Toby would have made me breakfast. It normally would be some type of eggs, but it could be a pancake or waffle. Sometimes he would sit at the table with me, watching as I ate. I would ask him if he had eaten anything, and he always told me he had. Other times he was busy in his office, his fingers typing away on the computer. When I was sitting there alone I would just stare at the food, my brain telling me that I didn't need to eat it. I would eat a few bites and then wait for Toby to be making a lot noise before going into the kitchen and dumping the remaining breakfast into the sink or trash can. After that I would get a glass of water.

After getting dressed for the rest of the morning I drifted around the house. Sometimes I would go listen to music in my room. Sometimes I would play piano. Sometimes I would sit in silence, Gryphon sleeping in my lap. Toby moved around the house doing whatever he normally did. I would hear him playing video games and shouting in anger when he died. I never felt like going to watch him; video games never meant anything to me.

At lunch time Toby would occasionally go out to eat with friends, telling me when he left that I'm able to call him if I needed anything and he would come right away if I needed him too. I would make myself a small sandwich, eating a few bites before dumping it in the trash. Then I would continue what I would do in the morning until Toby arrived home.

Toby would come home at some point in the afternoon. He would wonder around the house for a little before popping his head in whatever room I was in.

"Hey," he would say. "Want to go anywhere?" I would stiffen up, my breath coming fast. My hands would clench and I would look away. He would realize that I didn't want to leave and would shuffle away off to his computer. I would remain sitting until my hands slowly unclenched.

When it reached dinner time Toby would most likely order something from take-out. He preferred to order Thai food, always asking me if I wanted anything. I shook my head, telling him that I would just make something for myself. My meals mainly consisted of salads, with vegetables and fruits and no dressing. Sometimes Toby would ask if I could make him a salad because he didn't feel like ordering something. I would make him a larger salad then mine, putting a small bit of dressing, even though it killed me to do that. Toby would eagerly eat it, chewing it loudly if he was in another room. He would make funny faces while eating and I would be forced to giggle through a mouthful of food. Dinner was always one of the best times of the day.

After dinner Toby normally watched something on the television, lounging on the sofa while flicking through cannels. I would make myself a cup of tea, sometimes wandering through the room to see what he was watching. Then I would go to my room, change and shower, and then curl up on the bed drinking tea.

Toby walked into my room one night after a few days of the system. I was sitting there, hands clutched around the cup, eyes glassed over as I thought about the meaning of a small mark in the wall.

"Hey." He said to me and I turned my head slightly to the side.

"Hello."

"I was wondering if you wanted to go out somewhere with me." I looked startled at him and his face immediately turned red. "Not as a date! I just thought you might want to go out somewhere."

"Where would we be going?" I asked, brushing a piece of hair.

"A group of my friends are getting together for a small party and they asked if I wanted to come." he shrugged.

"I don't have anything to wear." I lowered my cup of tea into my lap.

"Olga said you could borrow anything you needed. If you agree she can come over with a collection of clothes and jewelry and makeup for you to choose from."

He had told me about Olga one day at dinner. She was one of his friends who, according to Toby, had the same sense of fashion as me. I had yet to meet Olga, but he had said they hung out occasionally. But every time he mentioned her his eyes lost something for a moment. It worried me and I always felt like I should comfort him. But the scent of a cigar would fill my nose and I would slink away to cry on my own.

Should I go? I hadn't left the house for the entire time and I had just told my friend (who I run a bookstore with) that I was sick. I hadn't seen any other person besides Toby, had barely talked at all. Maybe it would be good for me. To go out somewhere else in this world and interact with people.

"Sure. I'll come." I smiled.

He beamed. "I'll call Olga and she'll head over as soon as she can." He dashed off, feet pounding the wooden floor. I stood, realizing that it would be better for me to have my hair to be combed when Olga came over.

The doorbell rang and I heard Toby opening the door and greeting the woman that stood there. I was sitting on the couch, legs curled up and leaning against the arm of the sofa. My red hair was pulled up into a messy bun at the top of my head, some pieces of hair falling down the sides of my face. Gryphon was beside me, his small head resting on my feet. I was gently petting him, running my fingers through the recently washed fur.

Toby and Olga were talking when they entered the room, allowing me time to study her. She was small, a good head smaller than Toby. Her deep brown hair was hanging around her head, curling around her shoulders. Her dress was topped with black fabric, the rest of the dress a red. Multiple guns, of all sizes, decorated it in a crazy mess. It ended at about her knees and I could see black shoes (the heels were dazzlingly high) decorating her feet. There were the tips of earing hanging from behind her hair, but they were too far covered for me to see any discernible shape.

They noticed I was staring at them, my eyes wide. "Hey," Olga said, waving. "I'm Olga Kay." Her voice had a Russian accent.

"Rose Granger. Pleasure to meet you." I didn't smile.

She raised a hand where a large bag of dresses hung there. "You ready? I brought some shoes, dresses, jewelry and make-up for you to try."

"Thanks. Follow me." I stood up, leading the way to the room where I had slept for the past few days. Toby wandered off to go get ready himself for the party. Olga dumped the bag on the bed and started to pull stuff out of it. I started to look at the dresses she had brought, dragging my hand along them.

Once she had finished putting all the dresses on the bed she picked one up. "Here." She held it out to me. "Try it on." It was a black dress with no sleeves. Just from holding it up I could tell it ended at about the middle of my thigh. I took it gently, turning around and going to the bathroom outside the room.

I pulled my pajamas off. They were basically one of Toby's larger tee-shirts with a pair of sweatpants. The dress slipped over my head, only a bit loose around the waist. It was elastic, so it stayed. If I wanted to I could pull the fabric away from my skin. Olga and I must be nearly the same size. I walked back into the room and spun. Olga was sitting on the bed, arms crossed and one hand resting under her chin. She nodded enthusiastically. "Perfect! Do you like it?" I looked down, smiling.

"Yeah." I swirled the dress. "It's nice."

"Ready for jewelry?"

I looked up at her, taking a deep breath. "Yes."

In about thirty minutes Olga declared that I was ready with a clap of her hands. She had done my hair, my make-up and picked out my shoes and jewelry. The necklace she had chosen was a small silver and golden feather. She had done the make-up simple, thin black eye liner around my grey eyes (she claimed it would bring out the black specks that decorated my eyes) with black mascara on my eyelashes (she told me my eye lashes were amazing). My hair had been pulled down into a side braid, a few hairs falling out to dangle beside my head. The shoes were a pair of black heels, the thin chain wrapping around my foot.

We left the room together, Olga walking behind me with a smile on her face. Toby was relaxing on the couch, his hair combed slightly. When he heard us enter he looked up and his mouth dropped open slightly.

"Wow." He whispered. "You look amazing."

I felt a blush rolling up my cheeks. "Thank you." I shook my head, forcing the memory out of my head. It crawled away, defeated for now.

"Well," Olga was looking between Toby and me. She breathed the word sharply. I lowered my head so that I was looking down at my feet, hands clutched in front of me. "Shall we go?"

"Yeah." Toby stood. "Let's go."

**A/N: Thanks for reading this chapter! The dresses were found on Olga's 'My Closet Tag' video, so look there for the dresses. Please review! Boop!**


	8. Chapter 8: The Party

**A/N: Be warned, cursing in this chapter.**

Toby lead the way out of the house, pushing the door open and bowing. "Ladies first." Olga laughed, her laugh light and airy. She curtseyed, walking in front of me with a skip. I shuffled after her, throwing a smile in Toby's direction. He smiled back, coming behind me.

"Thanks for coming." He whispered.

His car was sitting in the garage, one that I had seen many times from the window pulling into the driveway. It was a silver convertible, the top pulled down so that it could truly be called a convertible. Toby jumped ahead, jumping into the car. Olga climbed into her own car, so I was left sitting next to Toby in his car.

I climbed in, pulling the door shut. I could hear Olga pulling out of the driveway, forcing Toby to wait until it was safe before he pulled out. He glanced at me. I was staring at a pile of boxes that was sitting in the back of the room, resting my elbow on the door.

"You ready?" He asked. I turned to him.

"Yeah." I tried to keep my nervousness out of my voice, forcing a small smile. "Let's go."

He turned around, pressing a pedal down so that the car started to go backwards. I turned my head again so that I was looking out the mirror, a hand reaching up to play with the necklace.

Soon we pulled into a parking lot. I could see Olga waving at us from the outside of the building. Bright neon lights flashed words, but they all blurred together into bright colors. The car turned off and Toby turned to me again. "Ready?"

I nodded. "Let's go." I pushed my door open and stepped out, swaying slightly on my heels. I walked around the car to where Toby stood waiting. "Onwards." I pointed in front of me, focusing hard on not making it shake. He laughed slightly and started towards the building. When Olga saw us coming she turned around, opening the door and rushing in. I could hear the shouts of people for a second before the door swung shut. I took another breath.

Toby and I made our way across the parking lot. My heels clicked against the concrete and Toby's shoes slapped. We reached the door and Toby glanced at me before opening the door. Immediately I was blasted with music and voices. I felt myself freeze up but I told myself I had to keep going. I promised Toby I would.

He waved to some of his friends, going over them to talk. I followed him, keeping my head down as I walked. He introduced me but when they held out their hand to shake I didn't respond. I couldn't touch them. They started, curious, but from a look from Toby quickly changed to a wave. Soon Toby wandered off in the crowd and I was left standing there alone. A man came up to me, his light brown hair wavy with side burns decorating the side of his face. His blue eyes were bright with excitement.

"Hey. I'm Jack. Jack Douglass." He smiled. "Want to get something to drink?" My eyes widened with fear and his face softened. "Don't worry. I'm not hitting on you. I have a girlfriend already. Toby just said you needed someone to hang with." I relaxed as much as I could in a situation like this. So many people were pressing against me, their voices filling up my ears. It was horrible, but I had promised Toby.

Jack lead me to the bar, spinning one of the seats towards me. I slid onto it, my hands clutching each other tightly. Now that I was sitting next to the bar the smell of alcohol filled my nose. I felt my breath coming faster and I felt like I could hear my heartbeat in my head. It was coming back. Every single thing was coming back.

Jack had ordered a drink, turning to me. "Need anything Rose?"

I shook my head frantically, almost falling out of my seat as I stood. "I'm sorry but I have to leave. I'm sorry." I backed away, bumping into someone. I apologized to them before stumbling off. I had to find Toby. I had to leave.

I saw him leaning against a wall, talking with a collection of friends. I tugged on his sleeve and he turned. "Hey Rose!" he said with a smile.

"I need to leave," I told him. "Now." I could feel that my eyes were wide with fear. Every few seconds the memory came back into my head, his face flying in front of my vision. The smell was filling my nose and I could feel myself shaking. Toby's smile fell and he quickly apologized to his friends. They looked confused but Toby had already left, shoving a path out of the room. I was following him, stumbling like I was drunk.

He called back to his friends "I'll call you!" By that time we had left the building and Toby was leading the way to the car. He kept glancing towards me but I couldn't see him. I was trapped again, walking automatically to the car. Toby was forced to open the door for me and I fell in, pulling my hands over my head and tucking it between my legs. Tears flowed down my cheeks and I felt Toby's hand on my shoulder.

I shot out, slapping his hand away. "Don't fucking touch me!" He looked shocked but his hand dropped. I felt more tears coming. "Don't you dare fucking touch me!" I was screaming and Toby looked worried, but I could hardly see him because my vision had gone fuzzy.

"Rose?" he asked carefully.

"Don't fucking say another word! Be fucking quiet!" I huddled down as the memory kept coming back. His face was in front of mine. His hands were gripping mine. His body was pressed against me. I was in so much pain. I wanted it to end. I wanted my life to end. Just leave me alone!

In the mist of my crying I heard the beginning cords of a song. Instinctively I quieted, my ears straining to hear the song. The memory kept coming back, trying to force me back under, but now I could hear more than the man's breathing.

"Sometimes in our lives/We all have pain/We all have sorrow/But if we are wise/We know that there's always tomorrow."

I looked up at Toby through my tears; hands still pulled over my head, and saw that he was looking down at me. His mouth was moving with the lyrics.

"Lean on me, when you're not strong/And I'll be your friend/I'll help you carry on/For it won't be long/'Til I'm gonna need/Somebody to lean on."

He made a silly face and I was forced to smile. Then he started to do a strange dance in his seat as the song continued.

"Please swallow your pride/If I have things you need to borrow/For no one can fill those needs/That you won't let show."

I was forced to laugh as he continued to dance, his face forming silly expressions as he sang along (badly) to the song.

"You can call me brother/When you need a hand/We all need somebody to lean on/I just might have a problem you'd understand/We all need somebody to lean on."

I started to mouth the words, tears still slightly falling. The song was forcing the memory back.

"Lean on me/When you're not strong/And I'll be your friend/I'll help you carry on./For it won't be long/'Til I'm gonna need/Somebody to lean on./You just call on me brother/When you need a hand/We all need somebody to lean on."

Toby started to clap along and I laughed again.

"I just might have a problem/That you'll understand/We all need somebody to lean on./If there is a load/You have to bear/That you can't carry/I'm right up the road/I'll share your load/If you just call me."

I quietly sang the last verse with Toby.

"Call me." I sang quietly as he continued.

"If you need a friend."

"Call me." my voice was quiet beside his.

"If you need a friend."

"Call me."

"If you ever need a friend."

"Call me." we continued singing that line, changing off who sang it, until the line changed.

"If you need a friend." Toby sang it. Then we continued the 'call me' change off.

"Call me." He held out the note as the song ended and Toby looked at me, making sure I was still smiling.

"Thank you." I told him.

"No problem. Do you want to leave, or go back inside?" I froze and he seemed to notice. "I'm guessing go home?"

"Yes please." I whispered and Toby nodded. He started the car up and pulled out of the parking lot. I felt horrible that I had to make Toby leave, but the fact that he was willing to leave meant he was more my friend than anyone I had ever known. And I hardly knew him.

-TOBY'S POV-

"Yes please." she whispered. I nodded. Her grey eyes were wide with fear and her hands were gripping each other. I couldn't make her go back inside there. I started the car, turning the key and pulling out. As we drove I saw that Rose was fading into sleep, only to shake herself awake. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone. I had promised my friends I would call them to tell them what had happened.

I choose to call Sean Klitzner, since he was the person who the party was for. He answered right away.

"Toby! What happened? Where'd you go? Is everything all right?" Sean sounded drunk.

"Hey Sean, everything's fine. Rose just wasn't feeling good so we decided to go home." I hadn't told them much about Rose, just that she was my friend.

"Does she live with you or something?" he laughed.

"She's staying with me for a few weeks while her kitchen gets redone." I felt bad lying to him, but it was the only thing I could think of.

I still didn't know what had happened the night I had found Rose. I didn't think that I should ask her, since I would have felt wrong asking. Something had happened that night that had scared her. I would wait until she was ready to tell me until I found out.

"Are you going to come back? You can't leave me buddy!"

"Maybe. I don't know if I want to leave her alone…"

"Why? Is she afraid of the dark or something?" he laughed again and I heard him stager and knock against something.

"Are you okay?" I asked him, glad for the chance to change the topic.

"Yeah," he slurred. "Just ran into a plant. No biggie."

"Ah. Don't get hurt too badly. It is your party anyways." I laughed.

"You're right." He laughed as well. "You know what? I'm gonna give this phone to Olga while I go get another drink." I heard the sounds of people walking, music playing and finally Olga's voice.

"Hey Toby! What happened? I can't find you anywhere and Sean just handed me this phone and told me to speak."

"Rose had to leave."

"Why?"

"She felt sick."

"Poor Rose! Tell her to feel better for me!"

"Will do." I cast a glance at the woman sitting beside me. Her eyes were slightly closed while her head rested on her arm. There was a crack of eye between her upper lid and the bottom lid, so all I could see was white. I could see the mascara that was coated around her eyes, the eye liner that was running down her face from tears. She looked so tired, so hurt, so sad. I wanted to reach my arms out and hold her tightly. I wanted to keep away whatever was making her cry. But I knew that if I even rested my hand on her shoulder she would shoot out with anger.

"Toby?" I realized that Olga had been talking while I stared at Rose. I shook myself out of it.

"What?"

"Are you going to come back or are you going to stay with her? If you are, that's okay." At the last few words Olga's voice filled with understanding, so I knew it would be okay if I didn't come back.

"I'm probably going to be staying with her but I might comeback if she's okay."

"I'll come around some point tomorrow to get the clothes. Tell her that, okay?"

"I will. She's sleeping right now."

I heard a voice shouting from Olga's side. "I have to go Toby. Talk to you later?"

"Yeah. Bye."

"Bye." The phone call ended and my ears were filled with the dull sound of a telephone tone. I put the phone back into my pocket and glanced at Rose again. She looked so peaceful, yet so sad. I sighed, turning back to the road and continuing to drive towards my house.

**A/N: Do you like this chapter? Please review. Ask any questions and I'll answer them on my blog. I don't own the song used. Peace out! Boop!**


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